By-laws

BY-LAWS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES of the Germantown Public Library

  1. NAME AND LOCATION

The name of the library shall be “Germantown Public Library”. Where and when appropriate in the publications of the library, it shall be indicated that the Library District is the “Germantown Public Library, Valley View School District”.

 

  1. MISSION

The Germantown Public Library is a learning center of the community and the place people go for the discovery of ideas, the joy of reading and the power of information. Community needs drive our services and we strive to deliver these services in a welcoming, convenient and responsive manner.

 

  1. OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the library shall be to:

  1. Promote enlightened citizenship

  2. Enrich personal lives

  3. Encourage continuous self-education

  4. Seek to identify community needs

  5. Assume a leadership role in the community

  6. Support the Library Bill of Rights and Freedom to Read statement

  7. Assemble, preserve and administer books and related material

  8. Serve the community as a center of reliable information

  9. Provide free services to every resident of the State of Ohio

  10. Supplement and assist the education of the students of the Valley View School district

 

  1. POLICIES

The Board of Trustees shall have all of the powers granted to it by law and shall, in open meeting, determine and establish, in accordance with law, the basic policies of the library with respect to:

  1. The appropriation and budgeting of funds

  2. The establishment and maintenance of the library and library services

  3. The acquisition, improvement, maintenance, insurance, use and disposition of properties

  4. The hiring, compensation and responsibilities of, and the personnel practices concerning librarians and other employees

  5. The selection, collection, lending and disposition of books and other library materials

  6. The acceptance of gifts

 

The policies so determined and established by the Board shall remain in effect until changes or rescinded by further action by the Board and shall be administered by the library staff. The Library Director shall cause a compilation of all policies established by the Board to be prepared and kept up to date and to be distributed to the members of the Board and to appropriate members of the library staff and to be kept available to the general public.

 

  1. OFFICERS

Election: At the reorganization meeting in January of each year, the Board shall select from its membership a President, Vice-President and a Secretary who shall serve for a term of one year. At the same meeting, the Board shall appoint and fix the compensation of a Clerk-Treasurer who shall serve for a term of one year. Each of the said officers shall have such powers and duties as are prescribed by the Revised Code of Ohio or by these By-Laws or by special action of the Board from time to time to the extent that these By-Laws or said actions are consistent with the laws of Ohio.

 

President: The president shall preside at all meetings of the Board, authorize all committees, execute all documents authorized by the Board, serve as an ex-officio voting member of all committees, and generally perform all duties associated with that office.

 

Vice-President: The vice-president, in the event of the absence or disability of the president, or of a vacancy in that office, shall assume and perform the duties and functions of the president.

 

Secretary: The duties of the secretary include co-signing the Board minutes with the president and any other duties as determined by the Board.

 

Clerk-Treasurer: The clerk-treasurer shall keep a true and accurate record of all meetings of the Board, shall issue notices of all regular and special meetings, shall be disbursing officer of the Board, co-sign all checks, and perform such other duties as are generally associated with the position. The clerk-treasurer shall be bonded in an amount as may be required by the Board.

 

  1. LIBRARY DIRECTOR

The Board shall appoint a qualified Library Director who shall be the executive and administrative officer of the library on behalf of the Board and under its review and direction. The Library Director shall be responsible for:

  1. The proper direction and supervision of the staff

  2. The care and maintenance of library property

  3. An adequate and proper selection of books in keeping with the library service to the public and to financial operation within the limitations of the budgeted appropriation

  4. On a periodic basis, the Library Director shall report to the Board the status of personnel changes

 

  1. COMMITTEES

The president shall appoint committees of one or more members each for the specific purposes as the business of the Board may require from time to time. The committee shall be considered to be discharged upon the completion of the purpose for which it was appointed and after the final report is made to the Board. All committees shall make a progress report to the Board at each of its meetings. No committee will have other than advisory powers unless, by suitable action of the Board, it is granted specific power to act.

 

  1. MEETINGS

The regular meetings shall be held each month, the date and hour to be set by the Board at its annual reorganization meeting.

 

The reorganization meeting, which shall be held for the purpose of the election of officers and the hiring of employees, shall be held in January of each year.

 

The order of business for regular meetings shall include, but not be limited to, the following items which shall be covered in the sequence shown so far as circumstances will permit:

  1. Roll call of members

  2. Recognition of visitors

  3. Approval of minutes of previous meeting

  4. Correspondence and communications

  5. Treasurer’s report

  6. Financial report and approval of expenditures

  7. Report of Library Director

  8. Report of standing committees

  9. Unfinished business

  10. New business

    11. Adjournment

 

  1. GENERAL

An affirmative vote of the majority of all members present shall be necessary to approve any action before the Board. The president may vote upon any proposal before the Board.